Front loading washers

[newfsmith]

At work we had a Maytag Neptune. It cleaned those dog-poopied blankets right up. The only problem in 3 years was when a ball-point pen came apart and the little plastic ink cartridge/ballpoint got jammed in the pump. Otherwise if dealt with a lot of filth just fine.

At home, when our 28 yr old top-loading Maytag died, we figured we would never get anything that would outlast it, but we did want to use less water. We got a Whirlpool Duet HT, that we have had for about 3 yrs now. It is great. I particularly like that for bed sheets and towels you have the choice of a cycle that lasts longer and the washer heats the water above what your hot water heater is set for. Since it is a point of use heater, it only heats the water for one wash, so you get the benefits of a really hot wash, without wasting energy. We have not had any problems with it.

[malkin]

I love my Miele stacker set, it works like a dream.

We only needed a washer, but getting the pair allowed us to reclaim enough space to make room to store cleaning supplies, sewing supplies, and actual space for sewing.

[spindizzy]

We just replaced 19 year old washer and dryer with front loader Whirlpool HT. No problems so far. Super quiet washer. We bought Whirlpool because it's easier to get service should something go wrong. It is recommended to leave jar slightly ajar after using it so that water can evaporate and to prevent moldy smell. (works perfect for my family who never close anything!)

Also, it is recommended to use an "Affresh" tablet once a month. My washer has a "clean washer" cycle. Just throw in the tablet, put on the cycle. I've used one once in 4 months. How's that for following directions?

[OakLeaf]

I went looking for what in the world is "Affresh" since I'd never heard of it. Turns out it's just oxygen bleach. So, Seventh Generation dishwasher powder or Oxy-Clean bleach should do the same thing.

I was wondering whether crystalline citric acid might be an alternative for cleaning the washer (although as I said, in 11 years it's never seemed to need it, other than popping out the detergent tray for a good rinse and scrub once in a while).

[TrekJeni]

I was wondering whether crystalline citric acid might be an alternative for cleaning the washer (although as I said, in 11 years it's never seemed to need it, other than popping out the detergent tray for a good rinse and scrub once in a while).

I wouldn't use the citric acid wash as I'd be concerned about the rubber gasket and the pump hoses degrading over time.

*** I work for Procter and Gamble in the Fabric and Home Care division ***

I have done YEARS of research on front loaders with stain removal tests, whiteness maintenance, and color fading. My lab consists 16 front loading machines with a state of the art computer controlled water system that can recreate all water conditions across the world. We test EVERYTHING that is remotely front loading. Whirlpool, Maytag, Bosch, Miele, LG, Maytag, etc. The biggest gimmick is the LG Tromm with it's Steam Wash. There's no such thing. The commercial is over exaggerated. We laughed when we got it in as we all sat in front of it waiting for it to do its magic and was disappointed. Nothing like the commercial at all.

I got out of the appliance side of things last year and am now doing upstream technology research which means I'm testing new surfactants for potential product usage.

When Geoff and I bought our house in April, we bought a Whirlpool HT as we wanted the extra heater to do some tough cleaning on bedding as we have dogs and cats. There is no need to buy a high efficiency dryer unless you want them to match. The washers spin at twice the speeds that the top loaders do resulting in less drying time.

I've seen many people mention longer cycle times and keeping the door open. The reason the cycles are longer is because your relying on the kinetics of the surfactants rather than the mechanical action of an agitator to do your cleaning. It's also the reason why you need to use HE detergent. It's got a suds suppressor in it so it doesn't lock your machine up. Half dosing regular detergent doesn't cut it - I've got the data to prove it. Leaving the door open is recommended as the water tight seal doesn't allow for the washer to completely dry out between cycles. I've taken the machines apart by hand, you don't want to know what can be growing behind there, trust me!

[kacie tri-ing]

Love my front loading...it saves on space when you live in a tiny condo!

[jobob]

*** I work for Procter and Gamble in the Fabric and Home Care division ***

No way!!!

I used to work at a biotech company that supplies P&G with enzymes for laundry detergents. I used to work on the protease that went into Tide. An enzymologist's dream job - how to make a protease that didn't fall apart in hot water but still worked well in cold water. I used to know all sorts of arcane things about water hardness all over the world, surfactants, that sort of thing. Oh and the different types of technical swatches - BMI and the like ...

But back on topic -- LeeBob is lurking this thread now, we were just discussing the possibility of stacking a front loader washer & dryer in our little laundry room.

[Tuckervill]

I LOVE my Whirlpool Duet and none of the things Xeney complained about are a problem for us. We don't wash diapers, but my husband's work-out clothes get pretty rank. We started adding Febreeze laundry additive to those washes, and that made a difference. We have extremely hard water that leaves residue on surfaces, so maybe mine works better because of that...I dunno how all that works (but I hope the P&G folks will chime in). My clothes are cleaner with the Duet, and it's wonderful. I love it.

I just made a habit to press the "Cold" button whenever I wash. I do that to save money on heating the water. Nothing has shrunk, though, even on warm. Maybe my water heater is not up enough (the former owner put a partition around it and I've never even seen the stupid thing).

I'm sorry your Duet is not working out for you. I'm sure someone would buy it if you decided to sell and get something else.

Karen

[PamNY]

I have an Asko stacking washer and dryer. I picked Asko based on size (the W/D connection is in a bathroom with a narrow door) but I like it pretty well. There have been some repair issues.

I wouldn't normally pay that much for a washer/dryer but I didn't have a choice -- it was Asko or Miele back when I bought these. The higher spin speeds are really nice, and front loaders do put less wear on your clothes.

Pam